Luke Walton Becomes Lakers’ Head Coach

Former Laker Luke Walton has returned to L.A., this time as the head coach. He gets the unenviable task of trying to fix this team in the post-Kobe era. So can he do it?

The Lakers are an interesting team. They have some young guys in Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson, and D’Angelo Russell. The first thing Coach Walton will have to do is immediately handle the situation in the locker room after what Russell did last year. If the players don’t trust each other, then this team won’t perform well at all. Walton will have to find a way to get this players to bury the hatchet and build some chemistry. Given the fact that Walton is a players’ coach should help him in that endeavor.

The supporting cast is not great for the Lakers, as Nick Young (a.k.a. Swaggy P) and the likes don’t really scare anyone. What the Lakers do have though is cap room, and guys like Kevin Durant are nearing free agency. Not only that, but they also have a chance to draft someone like Ben Simmons. If you combine the core already in place with a player like Simmons and a top-tier free agent, you could have a contender.

Okay so maybe not a legit title contender, but at least a team that can make the playoffs and even make a little noise. Coach Walton has also had the luxury of being with the Golden State Warriors this season, so he got an up-close look at what makes them so successful. He also learned the triangle offense under Phil Jackson and can continue to run the system. More importantly, he knows what kind of players can work well in that type of system.

The former fan favorite definitely has his work cut out for him, but there is some reason to be optimistic in Laker Town.